Bike racks on GNER

John Hearns said:

I got the train from Leeds to London last night. The GNER
'White Rose' service, very new train with comfy seats and
a power point at every seat.

I looked in the luggage van at the front of the train -
only to see two rows of yellow steel bike racks, complete
with tie down straps. I think two rows of threee, on a
diagonal. Pat on the back to GNER.

Thats great, I live in Leeds and have two yellow steel bikes
:-)

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John Hearns said:

I got the train from Leeds to London last night. The GNER
'White Rose' service, very new train with comfy seats and
a power point at every seat.

I looked in the luggage van at the front of the train -
only to see two rows of yellow steel bike racks, complete
with tie down straps. I think two rows of threee, on a
diagonal. Pat on the back to GNER.

Did they take recumbents or tandems though?

I'd have thought the old general-purpose luggage space in
the front carriage would take some beating, though I am very
willing to be proven wrong...

AC

anonymous coward said:

Did they take recumbents or tandems though?

If it'll fit in the guard's van then they'll take it, I
think.

Pete.
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John Hearns said:

On Thu, 11 Mar 2004 11:06:18 +0000, anonymous coward

Quoted message said:

Did they take recumbents or tandems though?

At first look, the racks are like Sheffield racks, only
lower. There is a steel channel on the floor, like a
gutter, for putting the wheels in.

I don't see there is much cause for complaint - there is
still plenty of other space in the luggage van, and having
racks beats having to put your bike on its side under the
shelf arrangement

Glad to see things have changed.I had cause to complain to
GNER 18 months or so back because their only way of
transporting bikes was to lay them down in the parcels van
for anyone to tread on.

Sam Salt

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Quoted post said:

Originally posted by Peter Clinch
If it'll fit in the guard's van then they'll take it, I think.

Pete.

I thought that Guard's Vans were being phased out, since they do not provide any revenue in terms of seated passengers?

McBain_v1 said:

Peter Clinch said:

If it'll fit in the guard's van then they'll take it,
I think. Pete.

I thought that Guard's Vans were being phased out, since
they do not provide any revenue in terms of seated
passengers?

And also they need that rare species - Guards. Now they
are all Revenue Collection Executives or some such
similar title.

John B

JohnB said:

McBain_v1 said:

Peter Clinch said:

If it'll fit in the guard's van then they'll take
it, I think. Pete.

I thought that Guard's Vans were being phased out, since
they do not provide any revenue in terms of seated
passengers?

And also they need that rare species - Guards. Now they
are all Revenue Collection Executives or some such
similar title.

Revenue Protection Officer/Customer Service Managers AFAIK

McBain_v1 said:

I thought that Guard's Vans were being phased out, since
they do not provide any revenue in terms of seated
passengers?

They are part of the loco or traction unit or whatever they
call the engine these days. I can't imagine they'd ever put
passenger seats in this section. I assume the OP is talking
about 225s or Eurostars.

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John Hearns said:

McBain_v1 said:

I thought that Guard's Vans were being phased out, since
they do not provide any revenue in terms of seated
passengers?

That's why I'm giving GNER a pat on the back. These trains
are the big trains which go on the East Coast main line.
They have large guards/luggage vans as part of the engine.

Is this one of the new Mallard class? From GNER's websit it
looks like they are refitting their existing stock with new
seats and facilities. They don't mention the refitted
guard's vans but I assume it is part of the same refit.

Colin
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On 11/3/04 1:29 pm, in article [email hidden],

MSeries said:

McBain_v1 said:

I thought that Guard's Vans were being phased out, since
they do not provide any revenue in terms of seated
passengers?

They are part of the loco or traction unit or whatever
they call the engine these days. I can't imagine they'd
ever put passenger seats in this section. I assume the OP
is talking about 225s or Eurostars.

125 IIRC. I travelled on teh caledonian sleeper the other
day and that has six hooks for suspending bikes. The tricky
part is that you have to get the bike down the corridor and
in to the little vestige of a guards van, tricky with a
normal bike, possibly impossible for a tandem or long
recumbent.

..d

On Thu, 11 Mar 2004 13:29:29 +0000, in
<[email hidden]>, MSeries

Quoted message said:

McBain_v1 said:

I thought that Guard's Vans were being phased out, since
they do not provide any revenue in terms of seated
passengers?

They are part of the loco or traction unit or whatever they
call the engine these days. I can't imagine they'd ever put
passenger seats in this section. I assume the OP is talking
about 225s or Eurostars.

According to a train spotter ^H^H^H^H^H^H^H rail enthusiast
I know, it is not permitted to use the area within the
engine unit for passenger accomodation since it is illegally
noisy and the space needs to be there to act as a crumple
zone in case of collision.

IIRC on 125 class trains there is always a large unit
comprising the engine and drivers cab. Behind this is
another coach which comprises the guards van and passenger
seating. On some trains (those that need to be
bidirectional) there is a unit at the opposite end which
comprises a driver's cab and a big empty space where the
engine isn't.

I'm not a rail enthusiast so I may well be wrong.

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David Martin said:

125 IIRC. I travelled on teh caledonian sleeper the other
day and that has six hooks for suspending bikes. The
tricky part is that you have to get the bike down the
corridor and in to the little vestige of a guards van,
tricky with a normal bike, possibly impossible for a
tandem or long recumbent.

And past the piles of boxes of fish.

John B

David Martin said:

125 IIRC.

125s ? they're diesels. I haven't seen a GNER 125 for ages.
I am not a trainspotter as such but do go past the tracks
out of Leeds a lot and notice the trains.

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Colin Blackburn said:

Is this one of the new Mallard class?

Yes I think so. But this is getting dangerously close to
uk.rec.railways territory (or whatever). I just travel on
the things, and have thought highly of GNER in terms of
clean, modern trains and their bike facilities.

Richard Bates said:

On Thu, 11 Mar 2004 13:29:29 +0000, in <[email hidden]-

berlin.de said:

McBain_v1 said:

I thought that Guard's Vans were being phased out, since
they do not provide any revenue in terms of seated
passengers?

They are part of the loco or traction unit or whatever
they call the engine these days. I can't imagine they'd
ever put passenger seats in this section. I assume the OP
is talking about 225s or Eurostars.

According to a train spotter ^H^H^H^H^H^H^H rail
enthusiast I know, it is not permitted to use the area
within the engine unit for passenger accomodation since it
is illegally noisy and the space needs to be there to act
as a crumple zone in case of collision.

I thought as much, though the crumple zone appears to be
ineffective in rail crashes since the coaches are so light
they concertina up anyway.

Quoted message said:

IIRC on 125 class trains there is always a large unit
comprising the engine and drivers cab. Behind this is
another coach which comprises the guards van and passenger
seating. On some trains (those that need to be
bidirectional) there is a unit at the opposite end which
comprises a driver's cab and a big empty space where the
engine isn't.

I'm not a rail enthusiast so I may well be wrong.

I thought there was an engine in both power cars on 125s,
the noise is similar as they pass. I don't recall seeing
another guards van to be honest but as I said before its a
long time since I've seen a 125.

I am not going to get into an argument about trains !

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On Thu, 11 Mar 2004 14:06:44 +0000, MSeries <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

David Martin said:

125 IIRC.

125s ? they're diesels. I haven't seen a GNER 125 for
ages. I am not a trainspotter as such but do go past the
tracks out of Leeds a lot and notice the trains.

That's because Leeds is electrified. They run the 125s up to
Scotland particularly when the route goes north of
Edinburgh. I often get a 125 from Newcastle to Durham.

However the trains being refitted are the 225s. I doubt
they'll both with the 125s.

Colin
--

John Hearns said:

Yes I think so. But this is getting dangerously close to
uk.rec.railways territory (or whatever).

I tried to book myself & my bike on a Leeds to Carlise train
last week (so I can cycle home). I called National Rail
Enquiries, they don't do bookings, they gave me the number
for Arriva Trains Northern who operates the line. Called the
number, it was actually Virgin Trains so I put the phone
down and got the right number for Arriva Trains Northern.
They don't do telephone bookings so they gave me the number
for GNER. The operator I spoke to was really helpful and I
got my places booked. Chapeau to GNER.

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McBain_v1 said:

I thought that Guard's Vans were being phased out, since
they do not provide any revenue in terms of seated
passengers?

That's why I'm giving GNER a pat on the back. These trains
are the big trains which go on the East Coast main line.
They have large guards/luggage vans as part of the engine.

In "]news:[email hidden],
MSeries <[email hidden]> typed:

Quoted message said:

David Martin said:

125 IIRC.

125s ? they're diesels. I haven't seen a GNER 125 for
ages. I am not a trainspotter as such but do go past the
tracks out of Leeds a lot and notice the trains.

Kings Cross to Glasgow are mostly diesels. They don't go
through Leeds, though. That's served by 225s and TGVs, urm,
Eurostars, urm White Roses.

A